Robert A. Gasser,   (1922-2002)

From 1960 to the mid 1990's, Robert A. Gasser was an eminent grower of Cryptocoryne, based in Florida USA. His firm, Quality Aquarium Plants, sold plants to a few shops in the USA. He also wrote a couple of articles on aquatic plants (see below). His collection (see his trade list from 1978) was and is impressive. Probably he used all the common sources in those days from Singapore, Kuching, etc. but the difference with other importers was his ability to grow and to flower his Cryptocorynes. Most would have been forgotten if Gasser did not have live contacts with professor De Wit from Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands, the leading taxonomist up to the 80's and from that time with Niels Jacobsen, now professor at the Copenhagen Agricultural University, Denmark. Gasser's name is connected to two species, Cryptocoryne gasseri N. Jacobsen (1979) and to Cryptocoryne amicorum De Wit & Jacobsen (1983), the latter name means "Crypt of the friends".
Robert A. Gasser passed away at August 17, 2002. During his live, he rarely shared information about how he grew his plants and only a few specialists were allowed to see how he managed them. In his last years, he suffered a stroke and was bound by a wheelchair. His firm had stopped several years before.

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Robert A. Gasser (1922-2002). Read the story under the full picture.		The 'trade list' of the Quality Aquarium Plants firm of Gasser dated 1978 (the full image is about 350kB)	Second page of the trade list. Annotations are by R. A. Gasser himself as sent in a private communication to the author (the full image is about 350kB).
One of the ca. 50 tanks on the yard of Gasser's Quality Aquarium Plants firm in Stuart, Florida (USA), number T-82. Built from blocks of concrete (read Jacobsen) and overflowed by well generated water (read Olesen) on a layer of sheep manure covered by sand. photo Gasser	A by Gasser cultivated C. gasseri. Note the striking red lower side of the leaf. The plants have their leaves depressed to the ground, the mechanism for that isn't quite good understood yet. locality unknown photo Gasser	Botanists from the Leiden (L) Herbarium collected a Cryptocoryne in Atjeh, Sumatra, Indonesia. Gasser flowered it for the first time and it was described as C. amicorum, the 'Crypt of the friends' (De Wit 1983).  collection Wilde & Duijfjes 19404 photo Gasser	A flowering C. crispatula var. flaccidifolia cultivated by Gasser. unknown locality photo Gasser
Gasser had good contacts with professor De Wit from the Agricultural University Wageningen (WAG) in the Netherlands. Miss Ike Zewald, the artist who made the line drawings in his books, also made notes on received plants. notes Ike Zewald	The species mentioned in the notes of Ike Zewald (Gasser T-81). Even today, the plant is not named. Probably it belongs to the C. x purpurea complex (C. griffithii x C. cordata). locality unknown photo Gasser	Another plant, cultivated by Gasser. This one is rather close to C. griffithii but lacks the regular surface of the limb. locality unknown photo Gasser	This is a clear C. cordata var. cordata, Gasser T-82, grown submersed. The flowering plant is apparently replanted on a clean bottom for the photograph (compare his crowded tanks above). locality unknown photo Gasser
In 1979, Cryptocoryne gasseri is described by professor Niels Jacobsen from the Royal Agricultural University of Copenhagen in Botaniska Notiser 132: 144.	The type specimen of C. gasseri, said from Sumatra (Indonesia) cultivated by R. A. Gasser. Note the strong denticulated margin of the spathe. locality unknown photo Gasser	Flowering C. gasseri. Note the brown upper surface of the leaves and the irregular bullate leaves when grown submersed. locality unknown photo Gasser	Again C. gasseri as grown by R. A. Gasser. Today, both C. gasseri and C. amicorum are regarded as synonyms of C. minima. locality unknown photo Jacobsen

This page is written with help from:
Neil Frank, Raleigh NC, USA - who has visited with Robert Gasser during the early 1990's and has maintained contact with his wife Marjorie Gasser.
Niels Jacobsen, Denmark - details on a visit to Robert Gasser in 1980 (read it) and slides of Gasser's plants and his containers and articles by Gasser.
Paul Krombholz, Ohio, USA - articles by R. A. Gasser.
Bob Olesen, Florida, USA - details on the aquifers in Florida (read it).

Jan D. Bastmeijer, the Netherlands; February 2003

Articles written by Robert A. Gasser in the Fresh Water and Marine Aquarium (FAMA) magazine:
Gasser, R. A., 1978. Cryptocoryne retrospiralis. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 1,2: 10-11.
Gasser, R. A., 1978. Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 1/78
Gasser, R. A. 1979. Cryptocoryne tonkinensis. Freshwater and Marine Aquaria 3/79
Gasser, R. A. 1979. Cryptocoryne striolata. Freshwater and Marine Aquaria 6/79
Gasser, R. A. & J. H. Gasser, 1985. Some Interesting and Rare Cryptocoryne. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 8,2: 23-30.

References:
Jacobsen, N., 1979. Cryptocoryne gasseri N.Jacobsen, sp.nov. (Araceae). Bot.Not. 132 : 144 .
Wit, H.C.D.de, 1983. Aquariumplanten, 4e druk. Hollandia, Baarn. (German edition: 1990. Aquarienpflanzen, 2. Auflage. Ulmer, Stuttgart).